Scott Eric Kaufman lectures at UC-Irvine, 2007
“As the sarcastic title and tone of ‘Homophobic Bigotry Update’ indicates, McCain knows that for him and his audience this is a ‘Dog Bites Man’ story. He’s just not honest enough to admit that he wants to call attention to what he believes to be an epidemic of gay child-rearing perfidy, because he knows that expressing his homophobic beliefs will out him as a homophobe and is just this side of smart-enough not to want that to happen.”
— Scott Eric Kaufman, University of California-Irvine, “Robert Stacy McCain, a homophobe, doesn’t even understand what he calls ‘a basic rule of journalism,'” April 11, 2013
Kaufman clearly missed his calling: Given his amazing ability to read minds — his certainty about what other people “know,” “believe” and “want” — Kaufman could make a fortune as a psychic, or at least a carnival sideshow act.
Kaufman the Magnificent: He Sees All! He Knows All!
Kaufman is one of those people who expect to succeed on the basis of having the Officially Approved Opinions, and who are outraged to discover that anyone can succeed on any other basis.
It’s the Hall Monitor Syndrome — Ferris Bueller’s sister.
Nobody ever cared about my opinion on the subject of “gay child-rearing” (perhaps an inconvenient choice of words in this context, but never mind) until I started writing about politics.
In the world of politics, having the Officially Approved Opinions seems to be the entirety of virtue, which explains how Ted Kennedy could be celebrated as a courageous champion of women’s rights, and Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.
Well, if I’d written anything about Scott Eric Kaufman before today, I don’t remember it, but others know him well: Three years ago, he appeared as a “moby” false-flag troll at Ann Althouse’s blog.
About the same time, Donald Douglas observed, Kaufman was “apparently teaching courses on ‘Manga’ and the literary origins of films like The Last Airbender.”
It’s a busy life for Scott Kaufman, Ph.D.: Blog-trolling, lecturing about cartoons and vigilantly monitoring the Internet to detect homophobia with his clairvoyant mind-radar. Perhaps this explains why Scott Kaufman, Ph.D., has so much difficulty finishing other projects:
He is currently under contract with Fountainhead Press to produce a book on visual rhetoric called, appropriately enough, Seeing Rhetoric. It will be published in 2011 if it kills him.
Hmmm. Checking Fountainhead Press — “a conscientious, eco-friendly publisher that provides innovative yet inexpensive products to the higher education market” — and I don’t see Kaufman’s Seeing Rhetoric there, and if he’s published it anywhere else, I can’t find it.
What else has Scott Kaufman, Ph.D. published? Well, for a while, he had a blog at the Chronicle of Higher Education, where on Sept. 10, 2009, he published a post with this title:
Ed Morrissey’s a racist and I’m a homophobe and Scott Kaufman, Ph.D. is one mightier than either of us, the latchet of whose shoes we are not worthy to stoop down and unloose. Meanwhile, in July 2009, Scott Kaufman, Ph.D., began a blog post with this pompous preamble:
Before I get started, I want to acknowledge that I know Ann Althouse is an attention fiend, and as such revels in any that comes her way. Furthermore, I know that giving her the attention she craves will only embolden her to spout even more outrageous nonsense in the future. However, the white-hotness of her intellectual dishonesty here compels me to consider it a vacuity of historical import.
The subject of this lecture on “intellectual dishonesty”? Whether Obama had looked at Mayara Rodrigues Tavares’s butt.
No, I’m not kidding.
Between his examinations of these lofty academic matters — and being a “moby” and lecturing about cartoons — Scott Kaufman, Ph.D., applies his keen forensic skill to diagnosing those who suffer irrational fear of homosexuals, because he is not just an arrogant know-it-all, but also selflessly devoted to eliminating all haters, everywhere.
SCOTT ERIC KAUFMAN
You Don’t Need a Ph.D. in English from UC-Irvine
to Become a Laughable Douchebag — But It Sure Helps!
He’s mostly full of himself.
The stereotype with him is he got beat up as a kid for his lunch money, and now he’s taking it out on people he doesn’t agree with by making ‘fashionable’ accusations against them.
Back in the day, SEK got intellectually beat up on a regular basis at Protein Wisdom.
Kaufman’s gaydar is extremely sensitive, is it not?
Oh, THAT idiot. I wondered why his bullshit sounded so familiar. I’ve had to clean it off my boots more than a few times.
It would be a terrible thing if Jeff G. took notice of this — absolutely terrible!
Oh oh! I’m seeing a whole bunch of down votes. Someone’s upset!
Maybe SEK is feeling a tad put upon?
Well, he’s full of something.
HEY! JEFF! COME SEE THIS.
It’s okay. I up dinged everyone for “balance” I even updinged myself! I didn” know I could do that. (grins evilly)
Dang. the dinger goes up but when you refresh it’s gone. That ends that potential escapade. (frowns sadly)
Hey, you forgot to downcheck my comment about wiping your bullshit off my boots! Let’s be consistent, now.
http://www.whiteoliphaunt.com/duckofminerva/2013/04/the-stupid-things-people-with-a-ph-d-say-on-airplanes.html. SEK?
I find it really amusing that you went from not acknowledging that I had a name to going to DEFCON 1 with the character assassination. That link to the Althouse post, though, where she acknowledges she can’t divine my very cleverly hidden identity, is a wonderful touch. Who knew that the stupidity she sowed three years ago could still germinate at all, much less into even more idiotic accusations.
Look McCain, if you’d like to address the substance of my arguments against you, I’d love to see it. I don’t think you can muster much, because I think you’re masking, thinly, untenable bigotry, but I’d love to see you try. But feel free to do that karaoke Thompson you love so much. I promise, we’re not laughing AT you, we’re laughing WITH you.
Clearly, though, you’d rather attack my character in ways you mistakenly think are meaningful, which you’re more than welcome to continue to do. I mean, it’s done wonders for the Donalde, whose countless anonymous letters to my various bosses have resulted in me not having been fired for many, many years.
And for the record, yes, I concede that I’ve changed publishers but neglected to update my profile. Consider me “BUSTED!”
(Also, the fact that you insist on referring to me as “Scott Kaufman, Ph.D.” when I’m more than happy to be known as “SEK” doesn’t say anything about you or your insecurities, I promise.)
Dude, the pointing out of the Ph.D. is in the nature of pointing to a red flag for possible stupidity. Not that all Ph. D.’s are stupid, the smartest guy I know has one, but then his is in Nuclear Physics which is a real degree.
Just ask him….There’s physics and everything else is stamp-collecting. And….English is made deliberately harder than it has to be to cover up the fact that there is not enough to learn to justify a four year degree.
Feel free to tell me I’m not that smart. I already know it. The problem you have is you’re in the same boat as me, and think you’re not.
I don’t know you, so I’m not qualified to judge how smart you are or aren’t. I just think it’s telling that someone needs to point out that I have a Ph.D. when I don’t do so, and that he does so instead of addressing the actual substance of my argument. He could’ve refuted the points I made about how his “Man Bites Dog” logic simply by saying that he doesn’t believe that gay men are more likely to molest male charges in their care. I gave him that obvious out, which has nothing to do with having a Ph.D. He chose, instead, to mock me for my degree and, not at all ironically, link to other people with degrees who have written idiotic things about me.
Which non-irony he didn’t acknowledge, of course, because that would undermine the argument he doesn’t have. But whatever. I’m more than happy to let my words speak for themselves. He provided you links to my blog, which you’re more than welcome to peruse and decide, for yourself, whether I’m a self-serious academic who writes about nothing of importance. You can even check out my analysis of “cartoons” and decide, for yourself, whether they’re worthy of attention. I think you’ll be surprised by the bill of goods McCain’s selling.
So again, I don’t know you, I can’t judge how smart you are by anything other than your actions. Right now, they consist of believing everything McCain’s said without evaluating the evidence for yourself. Let’s continue this conversation after you do so.
SEK, Ph.D, you are a joke. Your students deserve better. I feel sorry for them and their parents who are obviously throwing their hard-earned dollars down the toilet.
There was no actual substance to your ‘argument,’ only character assassination. Project much? Why yes, those of us familiar with you know that you most certainly do.
Perhaps you failed to note the bolded words Stacy chose to quote you on, but the rest of us did not. Never mind that you yourself failed to actually refute Stacy’s own prior argument with that bit of mendacity.
Your rhetorical schtick is tired, boring, and utterly predictable.
The difference between Kaufman and trolls of lesser standing is clearly a matter of degrees.
Kaufman is a good example of why most of us in the STEM areas hold the rest of the academy in contempt (although we do tolerate the Bidness schools and Accountants do useful work now and again. Don’t get me started about law schools). Frankly, there isn’t enough substance in English to warrant an MA, much less a PhD. The grad schools for that stuff are just diploma mills.
Kaufman is now whining about RSM not dealing with the points he brought out and complaining about “character assassination.” Kaufman’s “points” are nothing but character assassination, and Kaufman whines about character assassination. That’s weapons grade projection.
Frankly, I’d rather be thought a homophobe by an idiot like Kaufman than to be at all accepted by the loony left of which he is a card carrying member. The title homophobe bestowed by the likes of such an idiot is a badge of honor and not the insult he means it to be.
ZING!
THIS.
Oh, your words are speaking for themselves, all right. They’ve convinced me that a conversation with you would be a complete waste of time.
You might have noticed, sir, that I don’t comment at LG&M — or C&L or DailyKos or any other liberal blog.
There is a reason for this: I have my own blog and believe that what I say here should suffice. There is no need for me to intrude my opinions at your place, uninvited and unwelcome. You say whatever you want to say over there, and I’ll say what I want to say over here.
This seems a civil arrangement to me. However, if you’d like to continue in your current task of offering further proof of my argument — i.e., that you are a ginormous douchebag — so far, I have no reason to stop you.
How about Dr. SEK? Here is a good link for you: http://evilbloggerlady.blogspot.com/2013/04/reasonsmysoniscryingtumblrcom.html
To repeat, the Ph.D is a crack, a joke, a flag for the type of overeducated moderately intelligent nonsense that has many people smiling ruefully when they hear that Ph.D means ‘piled higher and deeper’.
I explained the most likely cause of RSM’s actions, and you chose to ignore my explanation.
As to whether gay men are more likely to molest the innocents in their charge, I refer you to the Blessed Bovine, the Evil Blogger Cow who I think has a study she might like to share with you. It has facts which disagree with your fashionable theory.
I read Althouse’s bit about you, and I felt sorry for her. Upon skimming your post to her, I could begin to think I should take back my comment that you and I are in the same boat IQ wise. Clearly you were less, but then somewhat charitably, I realize we all have bad days, and it might be due to panic, or drink, or some character flaw that you wrote so badly to the Dame of Madison, Wisconsin.
As to it being non-ironic, let me point you to Emerson….a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds. RSM understands as we all do that just because some Ph. D’s are problematic, and that this type is common, does not mean all are.
As to your words, that is what I judged you on.
I am a SF/F writer, and a tabletop RPG designer, and I have no problem with you studying anime. But, one should have a sense of humor about it. If getting bent out of shape about someone calling anime ‘cartoons’ is your life, then you need to grow up.
As to your last para, there is also the bit of evidence that Protein Wisdom evidently found you annoying. PW is one of the smarter and deeper thinking guys on the Right side of the blogosphere. So that’s two guys who’s insight I respect who don’t like you. Let’s not forget the La Belle of Madison either, who has her flaws, but also her strong points.
Hey, SEK is smart!
Separated at Birth: Scott Eric Kaufman and…?
Stock Errant Scoffman must have decided he hasn’t had a wedgie in too long.
So much of liberals’ arguments depends on making stuff up. That’s why they have concepts like “racist code words” and “dog whistles.” It’s a way to put words in people’s mouths.
Call me SEK!
[…] have been “christened” with a Doctor of Philosophy in English. His target this time is Stacy McCain, who Master Dr Kaufman assures us is a […]
Catching up here … I won’t go read SEK’s tortured prose because dealing in honest debate is something he shed long ago. What Scotty and the rest of the Leftcult do when they attack any attention paid to crimes committed by members of their protected pet classes is reinforce what was pointed out in the original Daily Mail article … that these men may have been able to get away with such criminal behavior precisely because the government social workers were terrified of being labeled “homophobes” if they started investigating.
Shades of why Nidal Hasan was able to murder with impunity AND why the Obama Admin insists it was nothing but “work place violence”
Not to say Leftcultists won’t throw members under the bus; they will if it goes to a larger picture of taking down something bigger. Hence the Left goes after the Catholic Church for it’s gay pedophile priests but sweeps the same behavior of unionized teachers under the rug.
Now why would ‘SEK’ be concerned about seeing his given name and ‘christened’ title – Scott Kaufman, Ph.D. – being used on the internet?
It certainly couldn’t be about web searches and his prospects for tenure…
Because even he knows he doesn’t have any prospects for tenure.
For crying out loud, McCain, did you HAVE to publish the picture? Wouldn’t a shot of Bella Abzug or Rose Delauro been enough?
That face would make Andrew Sullivan go straight.
Ugly and stupid, that boy should apply for disability.
A couple of thoughts on your article:
1.”Kaufman is one of those people who expect to succeed on the basis of having the Officially Approved Opinions, and who are outraged to discover that anyone can succeed on any other basis.
It’s the Hall Monitor Syndrome – Ferris Bueller’s sister.”
Um, did you realize that singling out people like Scott Kaufman, and by writing this article, you yourself are guilty of the same thing? Or are you going to come up with some lame reason why you are excused from such hypocrisy. Personally, I believe you have the right to write against him and feel the way you do, BUT, don’t set up an absolute that you will yourself then go against–it makes you look… what’s the right word… the hell with it, let’s just go simple: stupid.
2. “on the subject of “gay child-rearing” (perhaps an inconvenient choice of words in this context, but never mind)”
Way to go, you just make an adolescent joke in the middle of pretending you are an adult. Here’s an FYI for you: if you have sex with a child (same sex as you or opposite), it’s called pedophilia. Cut and dry it’s pedophilia. Gay men have sex with other grown gay men. It’s the same with heterosexual people as well–just in case you’ve gotten confused.
Personally, Dr. Scott’s intellect is staggering, sharp and impressive. There has been many a times that I’ve been upset at how much he knows. This can make debates with him challenging and hard, but ultimately enjoyable as we need great minds like his–regardless of whether I agree with him or not.
Now understand my harshness, if you are going to attack a dear friend, it is your right (and thank you for taking advantage of that right), but for god’s sake man, think about what it is you are typing before you set forth to do so. Next time, forget that you are trying to impress your friends in the fraternity, and act like a grown up with an intellect. Get rid of the adolescent fart analogous humor and make sure that your qualifiers don’t disqualify you too.
RAWMUSCLGLUTES is not ‘into’ faces, IYKWIMAITYD.
Ooh! Haven’t seen a tu quoque in … minutes!
sock puppet or sometime gay lover?
GOOD DAY SIR!
I’m going with gay lover. Its the phrasing.
Two thoughts:
o Squat Epic Kweefman is still running the mindreading stunt?
o People still pay attention to Squat Epic Kweefman?
Kweefman still gets beat up for his lunch money, and it’s still a sixth grader that does it.
That’s SEK? I thought it was a Demotivator poster for the word “gormless”…
SEK:continously punching up while indulging in his own little fantasy of punching down.
I once had a very unpleasant issue with the equivalent of a PhD in English. Fortunately a little Imodium A-D cleared it right up.
If Kaufman has a staggering intellect he hasn’t demonstrated that here, or anywhere I’ve run across his mental meanderings. He’s your standard Illiberal Arts maven that is out of his depth almost everywhere he goes. The best in this country go into the STEM fields. Some of the lazier IQs go into Biz mgt or Accounting, but Kaufman’s like would never survive in a field that actually makes intellectual demands. I know by first hand observation.
That’s right, you got me, I’m his gay lover. His words may be harsh, but his lovemaking is so gentle.
Uhhh, one of the main points in the original McCain article is that the msm isn’t covering the trial of these two gay men who adopted and then raped kids in thier care. Why isn’t the msm covering this? Could it be that one of thier pet victim groups could be seen in a bad light?
SEK then called Stacy a homophobe (racist, bigot), thereby changing the topic of two gay men raping children in thier care. “Dr. Scotts staggering intellect” is nil at that point because he doesn’t want to have an argument, he wants Stacy to Shut The Fuck Up!
I don’t think it’s an attack on your character. It’s a wake up call for you to attempt to build one before it’s too late.